Menarcheal age in celiac disease may not be delayed and may be irrespective of age at diagnosis and dietary management

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role played by age at diagnosis of celiac disease (CD), dietary management and menarcheal familiar antecedents in conditioning menarcheal age (MA) in CD. This study covers a population of 94 menarcheal adolescents with untreated CD, whose MA was compared with that of 3 control populations: the 1 st consisting of 117 early-treated and compliant CD girls, the 2 nd represented by their non-celiac mothers, and the 3 rd consisting of 280 healthy adolescents. Average MA of the girls with post-menarcheal diagnosis of CD was superimposable to that of the patients with pre-menarcheal diagnosis and was no different from the one of their mothers or that of healthy controls. The prevalence of delayed menarche was similar in the patients with either pre-menarcheal or post-menarcheal diagnosis of CD. A direct correlation between patients’ MA and that of their mothers was detected in both groups of CD patients. We conclude that: a) untreated CD may not be associated with menarcheal retardation; b) MA in CD is significantly affected by maternal MA and may be irrespective of age at diagnosis and dietary management.